The place where I grew up
by Rose-Aki
Summary: When Nami gets a letter from Genzo telling her that pirates are threatening Cocoyasi Village again she decides to go home for a few days to solve the problem herself. However a certain swordsman comes with her on the journey. Zoro/Nami
1. Back home

A/N: Welcome to my new story :)

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It was one of the rare calm days on the Sunny. The Straw Hats were on their way to the next island and seeing that it was shortly after breakfast even Luffy was content for the moment. However it never stayed peaceful for too long. Surprisingly enough what disturbed the comfortable silence wasn't the marine or other pirates but a news coo. Normally it brought just newspapers, but this time it had also a letter for Nami.

After the navigator had paid the seagull she sat back down on her beach chair and read the letter. Genzo had written her and what he had to tell her was alarming. The man she thought of as a father was a very proud man and had never asked anyone for help, not even during the time Arlong had been in the village, so for him to ask for help was rare.

"Luffy, I need to go back to Cocoyasi for a few days." Nami announced after she finished reading the letter.

Her words not only made her captain, who was fishing with Usopp and Chopper, look immediately at her but also the rest of the crew that was on deck.

"Why?" Surprisingly enough it was Brook who asked that.

"Cocoyasi is my hometown." Nami explained, knowing that the musician didn't know anything about her past. "Apparently pirates are about to take over the island again. They are probably not strong, but they are harming my village, so I have to go as soon as possible."

"Then let's all go." Luffy smiled brightly, excited for a new adventure.

"Wouldn't it take months to get there? I mean if I'm not mistaken that island is in the East Blue." Robin spoke up.

"Don't worry about that. I have a super solution for that problem. I have a new invention that is so fast that it can bring people in record time to places that are far away." Franky made his trademark super pose, before going to the soldier dock system. A moment later a door opened and a small boot swam next to the Sunny. "This is the speed-sunny. It's really fast and it can bring us to the East Blue in two days, but it's only fit for two people and some provisions."

At his last words Luffy, who had watched the new invention with shining eyes, frowned slightly. This small boot wouldn't be able to hold enough food for him for such a long journey, so there would be no adventure for him. However someone else was more excited than ever.

"Of course I'll be the one going with Nami-swan." Sanji announced, hearts in his eyes.

"But who would cook for me when you're gone? You have to stay, captain's order."

While Luffy and Sanji were fighting Usopp was telling everyone that he was of course willing to go, but his sailing in small boots allergy was acting up again. By the railing Franky was busy describing Brook the super features this boat had and near the beach chairs Chopper hid behind Robin, who was looking with an amused smile at the whole chaos. Nami felt her anger rise with each second that passed and she was about to hit a few of her friends over the head when the only one that hadn't said anything so far spoke up.

"I'll go." The deep voice of the swordsman stopped the chaos on deck.

Nami turned around to face Zoro, who stood on the side with a hand resting casually on his swords. There was no hesitation visible on his face and his voice was firm. At this sight Nami felt her heart skip a beat, he had often come to her rescue, but this time it meant even more to her. Sure, they were nakama, but that he was willing to go on a journey with her to fight enemies who were probably not even worth his time made her want to interpret more into their friendship. Over the two years she got stronger, but she had also time to think and the swordsman had often been in her thoughts. After they had met again she had known that her feelings for him had changed quite a bit. Shaking her head Nami tried to ignore the racing of her heart and the warm feeling in her stomach and instead smiled at Zoro.

The rest of the crew had gone quiet at Zoro's announcement. Not even Sanji protested, because deep down he knew that Zoro would be the best choice. Despite that the cook always fought with Zoro, he trusted him to protect Nami and he was next to Luffy and him the strongest in their crew.

"Then I'll cook you the best food for your journey Nami-swan." With that he swirled into the kitchen.

"Is the boat ready to go Franky?" Nami now turned to the shipwright.

"I have to make a few smaller adjustments, but in an hour it should be good to go."

"Alright then we'll leave in an hour." Nami smiled and looked at Zoro, who only nodded in understanding.

When Franky finished his work and Sanji had cooked them the food they would need for their journey, Nami and Zoro entered the small boat. The shipwright had explained to the navigator how it worked, so after starting it Nami pushed a few buttons and the boat changed into the form of a capsule. It looked a little like a submarine, but it was meant to travel on top of the water. Apparently the motor was very strong and made it possible to travel with high speed. As soon as Nami started the boat, she knew what Franky meant and hadn't it been for strong arms catching her, she would have fallen from the power which with the ship flew over the waves. Nami tried to steady herself with the help of Zoro and clenched the rudder tightly. Franky was really a genius when it came to building, this ship was really as fast as he had promised and if they would travel non-stop they would make it to Cocoyasi in no time.

They were already on their journey for a day and had only made small breaks in between to eat. Usually it wasn't Zoro who broke the comfortable silence that had settled over them, but he was bothered by what he saw.

"You need to sleep, at least for a few hours. I can take over."

Even though his offer was sweet and in any other situation Nami would have been thankful for it, she knew that she couldn't leave the navigating to Zoro. His sense of direction was the worst she had ever encountered and even after the two years they had spent apart that hadn't changed. Normally she would tell him exactly that and they would probably end up fighting because he always insisted that his sense of direction was just fine, but this time Nami didn't want to anger him. Without hesitation he had agreed to come with her and she was still very thankful for that, so she wouldn't tease him. Instead she tried a different approach in hope that he would just let it slide and not keep insisting that he could navigate the boat.

"Why don't we both sleep for a few hours. You didn't sleep as well, so we could both use the break."

Now that she said it out loud she actually realized how strange that was. Since they had started their journey he had plenty of time to sleep while she navigated the ship. However the whole time he was staying awake with her and keeping a watchful eye out if another ship or danger was close. When he wasn't doing that he trained. The space was limited and there hadn't been enough room to bring any weights, so he could only do pushups. That wasn't easy with the fast pace the boat went, but Nami knew that Zoro didn't want to go completely without his training.

Shaking her head Nami looked expectantly at Zoro, who seemed to consider her words. In the end his only sign of agreement was a small nod before he rolled out the sleeping bags that they had brought with them. Nami smiled slightly at him before she turned the engine off and pushed the button that dropped the anchor. Despite that the boat was small Nami had to compliment Franky on the design. Not only could they lay comfortably next to each other, but the shipwright had even built a small separate bathroom.

Now that she lay down she felt how tired she really was. Since starting this trip she had been so worried that she had only focused on getting to Cocoyasi as soon as possible, but her body was clearly exhausted. Closing her eyes Nami told herself that she would only sleep for a few hours and then they would continue their journey.

When Nami woke up she saw that it was already dark outside. Looking at the sky she guessed that she had slept for around four hours, which was longer than she had wanted to. She was about to get up when she realized how close Zoro was to her. For a moment she was about to hit him for it before she realized that he was still on his sleeping bag while she was the one that had unconsciously moved closer to him in her sleep. She couldn't help but blushed at that realization and quickly move away from him.

That her feelings for him were already starting to shine through was not good. When she first discovered that she felt more for him than friendship she had sworn to herself that she wouldn't tell him. There was no way a man like Zoro would fall for her. For one he had a goal that he worked hard to achieve and he always said that he wanted to focus completely on that. For someone like Zoro romantic feelings or even a relationship would only be a distraction. Then there was the fact that they were so different and bickered all the time. Sure, he saw her as his nakama and would save her like he had already done so many times before, but he surely didn't feel more for her. Most of the time she probably annoyed him with the debt she kept holding over his head or her bossiness, so it was very unlikely that he would fall for her.

Sighing she stood up and walked over to the rudder. After she had pushed the button to pull the anchor up she started the motor again. To her surprise she saw from the corner of her eyes that Zoro was awake now as well. Normally he could sleep through anything, but she had already seen that when they slept on an island that he was a light sleeper. Smiling slightly Nami mused that it was probably because he was a fighter through and through, always wary of attacks from enemies when he wasn't on the ship that he consider a home just as much as she did.

It took another day until they finally arrived at the harbor of Cocoyasi and Nami was glad that they had finally made it here. Franky's ship had done a great job, especially considering that the red line and calm belt had been on their way and they still had enough of the food that Sanji had prepared for them. Even if they weren't here with her, her friends were supporting her where they could on this journey and one of them came even with her to help her even more.

When Nami left the small boat she took a moment to just stand at the harbor and take the sight of her hometown in. It had been years since she had been here and only now she realized how much she missed it. She had spent her whole childhood here and even if her time with Bellemere had been limited, she valued the memories. From the corner of her eyes she saw that Zoro stood right next to her, also looking around. She had probably been lost in her memories for a while but the swordsman hadn't said anything and just let her take her time. It seemed like he understood her need to just take a moment to greet her hometown again. That thought made Nami think about how he must be feeling and she couldn't help but ask him.

"Do you miss your hometown?"

For a moment she saw a melancholic expression in his eye and she asked herself about who or what he was thinking. Zoro had never revealed anything about his former life and the only people Nami knew from his past were Yosaku and Johnny. Often enough was she tempted to ask him more about his life before he had met them, but she knew that he was very closed off. If he wanted to tell her something about himself, Nami wanted him to do it on his own account. Suddenly the voice of the man she was thinking about broke her out off her thoughts.

"I wouldn't mind seeing my sensei again, but I know that he is not worried about me. I'm sure he is quite okay with me being a pirate as long as I value my swordsmanship."

It was the most he had ever revealed about the way he had lived before joining Luffy and Nami's heart warmed at the thought that he shared this information with her. Sure, it wasn't much, but for a man like Zoro to tell her about his sensei, who had clearly an important role in his goal to become the world's best swordsman, was a lot. Nami knew it was foolish, but she found her heart beat faster at the thought that he was sharing this with her and in turn she wanted to tell him how much it meant to her that he had come on this journey.

"Thank you." It were only two words, but they held all the gratefulness she felt for his decision. She looked deep into his eye and tried her best to show him that she really appreciated that he was here with her. However before Zoro could react in any way, a quite familiar man approached them.

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A/N: Please review and tell me what you think :)


	2. Family knows best

A/N: A big thanks to everyone who reviewed, followed or added my story to their Favorites, I'm happy you like it so far. Here is the new chapter :)

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"So the old fisher was right, you are really back Nami." Genzo greeted her.

"How could I not after the letter you wrote me." Despite that the reason why she was back wasn't a good one, she smiled at seeing the man who she thought of as a father. He hadn't changed much and the smile he gave her in return still warmed her heart with the feeling of finally being back where she grew up.

"And you didn't come alone." Genzo looked at Zoro. The swordsman had changed quite a bit since the last time Genzo had seen him. There was a new scar on his eye, but that didn't surprised Genzo, after all he knew what battles could do to a man. However the way these two stood so close together and how Nami had looked at the first mate before he had announced his present to them made Genzo smirk slightly. "I see, you found yourself a boyfriend."

At his teasing words Nami blushed bright red. She wasn't even back for long and Genzo was already embarrassing her. At first she was sure that he was just saying that to get a rise out of her, but then again what if he had seen right through her? Surely he couldn't already know what she felt for Zoro when it had taken her years to come to terms with it herself, but the knowing smile Genzo gave her told her otherwise. That was the moment she realized that she hadn't denied it yet so she quickly spoke up.

"No, Zoro just offered to come with me. Now where is Nojiko, I thought she would be the first to greet her little sister."

"Then let's go to the tangerine grove and see her. I'll tell you there about the pirates that are threatening the village." With that Genzo started walking and the two followed him.

On their way through the village a few people greeted Nami and they stopped a few times so they could talk to her. The navigator enjoyed it immensely to see them all again, but she was also aware that a few gave her and Zoro knowing smiles. Was it really so obvious that she was feeling something for the swordsman? Looking from the corner of her eyes at Zoro, who was talking to the old man in the blacksmith shop, he seemed obvious to the whole staring. Maybe the villagers were just looking at Zoro like this because he was quite famous and had a high bounty and not because they knew that he meant a lot to her. She was probably interpreting way too much into the looks, because Genzo had already made a comment hinting at her feelings. That had to be it, she was just paranoid and seeing that Zoro was still obvious to her feelings, let Nami calm down. For now she would focus on the problem at hand and that was the pirates that were threatening Cocoyasi.

When they finally arrived at the tangerine grove Nami felt her heart squeeze painfully. While most of her memories that involved this place were good, there was one that was bad. The memory of Arlong with a pistol and Bellemere standing in front of her and Nojiko to protect them was still fresh in her mind and for a moment Nami felt a lump in her throat. Only when she felt a warm and strong hand touch her back gently she realized that she had stopped walking. Looking up she saw that Zoro stood right beside her with a concerned look in his eye.

Closing her eyes she tried to push the painful memories away and focus on the reassuring hand that still lay on her lower back. After another moment she took a deep breath and opened her eyes.

"I'm fine." She told the swordsman, before starting to walk again. After the first step she felt him pull his hand away and she immediately missed his warm touch. Luckily for her Genzo hadn't seemed to notice her moment of weakness and was already in front of Nojiko's house.

When Nami saw Nojiko the last bit of the sadness that came with this place disappeared and she smiled at her sister. She hadn't changed much and mirrored her expression.

"It's good to see you again."

"Well I could say the same. You have become quite famous and even Genzo has your wanted poster in his office."

"You didn't need to tell her that." The man in question quickly denied.

While Nojiko only laughed alongside Nami, Zoro couldn't help the small smile that tugged on his lips. Seeing the navigator with her family was quite the sight and Zoro was glad that she got to see them again.

After Nojiko made them all tea, the four sat together on the small kitchen table and without further ado Genzo began explaining the problem.

"A week ago pirates arrived in our harbor. We heard rumors about them before, but we never thought they would be interested in coming to such a small island like ours. They have a huge ship and people say that they have hundredths for men. They're a new pirate crew here in the East Blue, but their captain is already known to be ruthless. They threatened us and told us that they would come back and we better have money and our valuable stuff ready." Genzo took a deep breath before continuing. "We wanted to deal with this problem alone, especially because you have already done so much for us, but this village has gone through so much pain in the past that I just want for the villagers to have a peaceful life."

Zoro, who had also listened to what Genzo had told them, looked over to Nami. The navigator was clenching her fists tightly on her lap with a far away look on her face. It was clear to Zoro that she was thinking about her past again and it was obvious to him that thinking about it still pained her. There was no way that she would let anything happen to her village and Zoro had never held more respect for her than in this moment.

While Zoro wasn't aware that he was looking at Nami with concern in his eye, Nojiko looked closely at the swordsman. Back when the Straw Hats had freed Cocoyasi from Arlong, the first mate had fought for their village despite the huge wound on his chest. Later Nami had even told her that Zoro had trusted her enough to save him from drowning. It was obvious to the blue-haired woman that the swordsman cared deeply for her sister and all Nojiko could hope for was that Nami had found someone who loved her. However that was something to worry about for later, for now she listened to what Zoro had to say.

"I doubt that they are worthy enemies, but I didn't have a good training in a while. Don't worry, I'll take care of them." The swordsman smirked confidently.

"There are a few villagers who want to fight alongside you. Would you mind meeting them?" Genzo turned to the man next to him.

"Not that I need any help with beating up a few weak pirates, but I won't mind meeting people who want to fight for their village." Zoro answered. He had always hold great respect for people that weren't normally fighters but were willing to protect their loved ones no matter what.

"Alright then come with me." At that Zoro only grunted in reply. "We'll be back for dinner." Genzo announced quickly to the sisters before leaving the house with Zoro following him.

"So I guess it's up to us to make dinner." Nojiko slightly shook her head at the retreating backs of the two men. This was her chance to talk in private with Nami about what she had just thought about her sister and the swordsman.

"I don't know when the last time was that I stood in the kitchen, Sanji always cooks so well for us." Nami mused.

"But I won't make dinner all by myself, so you better help me."

Of course Nami ended up helping her sister, so the two girls went into the kitchen and started cooking. It felt good to be home and the navigator enjoyed spending time with her sister again, that was until she started questioning her.

"So how have you been?"

"I'm sure you already know that from the newspaper." Nami smirked at her sister. It never failed to amuse Nami how the newspaper wrote about their adventures, sometimes it was close to the truth and sometimes it was mostly made up.

"I want to hear your side. Most importantly what happened during the last two years? We didn't hear anything from you." Now Nojiko looked sad. "You know, we were worried about you."

Seeing the look her sister gave her Nami's smirked vanished and a gentle smile replaced it. She had trained so hard the last two years that she had forgotten that Nojiko and Genzo would be worried if they wouldn't read anything about the Straw Hats in such a long time.

"I'm sorry. I should have let you guys know that I was okay, but I was so focused on my training. We got separated at Sabaody Archipelago and Luffy let us know through the newspaper that we should all meet two years later at the same spot. During my time apart from the crew I was on Weatheria, which is an island in the sky. There were only old men who couldn't hold their liquor, believe me I tried to make a contest with them and it was useless, but they taught me a lot of things about the weather. In short, I perfected my skills so I could be a better navigator and when we all met again I realized that the rest of the crew had used our time apart to get stronger as well."

"Zoro definitely seems stronger. I mean back when they defeated Arlong I thought that he couldn't get more buff, but now he is even more well-built. He is good looking."

Not seeing the sly smile on Nojiko's face, Nami nodded absentminded. There was no harm in admit that Zoro was good looking, everyone could see that.

"He seems to care deeply for you, if he even came here with you." Nojiko continued.

"Well we're nakama and it was the most logical choice that it was him who came on this journey with me."

"I know you Nami. You aren't telling me the whole truth. There is more to it." Nojiko still insisted.

"And what would that be?"

"I have a feeling that you feel more for Zoro than pure friendship, not that I can blame you for falling for him. He is quite the catch."

"What?" Nami gasped, momentarily letting go of the tangerine that she was cutting.

"Well, he is hot and that quiet protector behavior is appealing."

"You are completely misinterpreting this." Now Nami couldn't hide the blush on her face any more, but that didn't mean thst she couldn't try to deny it. "We bicker all the time and he can't even find the right way on our ship because he has such a bad sense of direction."

"Then you two are even more perfect for each other, seeing that you're a navigator." Nojiko gave her a teasing smirk and Nami could only gap at her. "Seriously Nami, I'm happy for you. After everything you have been through you deserve a man who loves you."

Taking a deep breath Nami shook her head to clear her thoughts. Nojiko always knew when she lied, so she should have known that denying her feelings for Zoro in front of her was pointless. However that the swordsman felt the same was the farthest from the truth.

"He doesn't feel that way about me."

"What makes you so sure about that?" Nojiko's teasing tone changed to a gentle one.

"I might be his nakama, but that's it for him. He is too focus on his goal to become the world's greatest swordsman to notice my feelings and I'm alright with that. We all work so hard for our dreams and the last thing I want is hinder him."

"So you just give up and live with it?" Nojiko turned to her sister with an angry expression. "That's not the way Bellemere raised us and you know it." She was provoking Nami with this, but her sister had always been stubborn so a little more force would be necessary.

"Don't you really think that this is me giving up?" Nami got angry as well now. "Don't you think I want to tell him? I do, but for once I can't be that selfish. If he doesn't feel the same our friendship would be strained and it would effect the whole crew. We live on the same ship, see each other every day, fight side by side. Do you really think I could bear to see him after he rejects me."

That was the moment Nojiko realized that Nami had thought about the whole situation long and hard. However the blue-haired woman was sure that Nami was wrong about Zoro not returning her feelings. The concerned and gentle look he had given her during the conversation with Genzo spoke volumes. Nojiko knew that Nami was old enough to make her own decisions, even if she thought that they were wrong, but she wanted to tell her sister at least what she thought was the right thing to do.

"Nami, I'm not telling you what to do, but if you ask me I don't think he would reject you. I might not know him as well as you do, but I can see that he cares deeply for you and even if you all have a strong friendship that's not the way a man looks at a woman that he considers just his friend." Nojiko lay a hand over Nami's clenched one. "It's your life and you have to live with your own decisions, but I would go for it."

While Nami seemed to think about her words Nojiko smiled gently at her. Whatever her little sister would decide she would support her.

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A/N: Please review and tell me what you think :)


	3. Finding happiness

A/N: So here is the last chapter. I hope you like it :)

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Meanwhile Zoro and Genzo were on their way back from the meeting with the other villagers. Genzo had to admit that he was impressed by the swordsman walking next to him. The newspaper often portrait him as a ruthless man who had no emotion whatsoever, but Genzo saw him in a different light now. Back then Zoro and the rest of the Straw Hats had freed them all from Arlong and even now he was willing to help them. Zoro had talked to the villagers with respect, even when Genzo was sure that the swordsman was used to real fighters. Even if Zoro hadn't said a lot, the few words he had said made Genzo well aware of the honorable man that came on this journey with Nami. The sheriff had always known that Nami was in good hands with the Straw Hats, but now that he had met Zoro again he was even more sure that it had been right to let Nami go with them.

When the two men entered Nojiko's house the dinner was ready. While Genzo and Nojiko told Nami a few things that had happened in the village while she was gone, Zoro kept quiet and just watched the small family reunite. The atmosphere was peaceful and reminded him somehow of the one during the dinners on the Sunny. Sure, here no one tried to steal his food, told a story about an adventure that had never happened or swooned around the women at the table, but the crew had become his family. Everyone of the Straw Hats was his nakama and he would do anything to keep them safe. However there was only one person he felt even stronger about and this certain person was just telling her sister that she would go outside for a bit to enjoy the fresh evening air. Seeing that he was done with his food as well Zoro stood up and searched for a good spot for his training. He was lucky and even found a few heavy rocks that would do for his weight lifting.

After Nami had excused herself from the dining table she made her way to an old swing that she had often played on as a child. Sitting down she looked over the tangerine grove. Since leaving the Sunny so much had happened. She was glad to be back home even if they had to leave again after everything was done, after all she had promised Luffy that they wouldn't be gone for too long. The familiar scent of tangerines around her and the peaceful noises of the night approaching made her sigh in content. However there was still something on her mind and that was a certain swordsman. After what Nojiko had said Nami didn't know if she was doing the right thing. Could there be a chance that her feeling for Zoro weren't as unrequited as she had thought they were?

Nami didn't know how long she sat there when she heard someone approach. She didn't even need to turn around to know that it was the man who she was thinking about. Despite his awful sense of direction he always seemed to find her. At first he just stood behind the swing she sat on, probably taking in the sight of the setting sun over the tangerine grove. Maybe Nojiko wasn't so wrong about describing him as a silent protector. However this time it was Zoro who broke the comfortable silence between them.

"You aren't worried, are you?" His deep voice could be heard.

"Not really, I'm sure these pirates are nothing compared to what we're facing in the new world."

It was understandable that he thought that she was concerned about the fight that was about to come, but something entirely different was on her mind. She had sworn to herself that she wouldn't tell him about her feeling for him, but being back home made her more emotional than usual and Nojiko's words kept repeating in her head. The need to let him know about her feelings became stronger by the minute. However before she would even consider telling him, she wanted to know something.

"You came here with me without protest or hesitation. You knew that you wouldn't be able to train normally for at least two weeks and I'm sure you were aware that these pirates probably won't even put up a fight that would make up for it, so why? Why did you come with me?"

"I wanted to make sure that you're safe."

"Because I'm your nakama?" Nami felt her hope sink.

"Because I want to protect you. Always."

For a moment Nami forgot how to breath. Did he really mean what she thought he did. Standing up from the swing she turned around to face him. His words weren't a direct confession, but the gentle look in his eye told her a different story. Maybe Nojiko was right after all and she should go for it.

With Zoro it was always more actions than words, so knowing that she stepped on her tiptoes and kissed him. At first Zoro stiffened, but then she felt his strong arms go around her and he returned the kiss. This was what she wanted for a while now, so for the moment she just let herself sink into their kiss and enjoy the feeling of being loved.

The moment Nami and Zoro came back inside Nojiko could see that something between them had changed. They weren't holding hands or anything like that, but Nojiko had never taken Zoro for the overly affection type anyway, but the smile Nami had on her face said it all. Seeing her sister like this made Nojiko smile as well and she hope that now Nami could finally be happy.

When it was time to sleep Nami and Zoro entered the navigator's old room. Zoro had offered to sleep on the couch in the living room, but after what had happened between them Nami told him that it was alright if they would share her bed. They hadn't talked about their kiss in the garden, but Zoro didn't think that words were needed anyway. He had never been good with words and he was glad that Nami seemed to accept that. When he felt Nami snuggle closer to him after he lay down, he smiled slightly. There were really no words needed between them to realize how they felt. Leaning down he pressed a gentle kiss on her lips before closing his eyes.

The next morning when Nami woke up it took her a moment to realize where she was. However not where she was let her smile but who she was with. The man whose chest she had used as a pillow the whole night was still deeply asleep besides her. They had both been exhausted after their long journey here and even though the swordsman would have never admitted it, he too had needed the extra sleep. Looking closely at him, Nami saw that when he slept he looked younger than when he was awake. Normally he had a guarded expression on his face almost all the time, but now he looked relaxed. Pressing a small kiss to his cheek the navigator stood up. Most of the time she teased him for his laziness and woke him up rather harshly, but today he had really earned his right to sleep a little longer.

After Nami had changed into her everyday clothes and got ready for the day she went downstairs.

"I take it that Zoro is still asleep." Nojiko greeted her with an amused smile.

"Well, it was a long journey and we barely slept."

"Of course." Nojiko smirked, but then her expression turned serious. "Are you happy Nami?"

"Very." The navigator gave her a bright smile.

Nojiko only nodded, content with the answer, and put a plate full of food in front of Nami. Both sisters ate their breakfast in a comfortable silence until someone knocked on the front door. A little out of breath Genzo told them that the pirates had just arrived at the harbor. While Nojiko told Genzo to sit down for a moment to catch his breath, Nami went upstairs to get Zoro. The swordsman didn't even complain about being woken up after she told him what was going on and was immediately ready for fight. Nami wasn't surprised about his reaction, with their crew you had to be always ready for new adventures or battles.

After grabbing the fruits Nojiko offered him for a quick breakfast, Zoro made his way over to the harbor with Nami and Genzo. The other villagers seemed to know about the arrival of the pirates as well, because the men Zoro had met yesterday were there. The first few pirates were already on the island, so Zoro took the chance to cut right through the point, there was no reason to delay this fight.

"Where is your captain?"

Instead of an answer, a tall man stepped out of the group of pirates.

"That would be me." Then he seemed to realize for the first time who he was facing. "You're a pirate as well. We could just share the loot."

"Not interested."

"That's too bad. Then my men will teach you a lesson."

It was obvious to Zoro that the man wasn't willing to fight himself, but instead let his crew do the job for him. Men like this annoyed Zoro and he voiced his thoughts a moment later.

"A man who doesn't have respect for his crew and is willing to fight on the front line with them is not worthy to call himself captain."

With that said Zoro got ready to fight. He was however distract for a moment when Nami stepped right next to him. When he saw that she was also looking at the approaching pirates he knew what she was planning and he didn't like it.

"It's not necessary that you fight."

"I know, but I got stronger since the last time I was here and I want to protect my village." She replied, a determinate expression on her face and Zoro could understand that after they had all fought for her against Arlong, now she wanted to fight as well. That was a decision he respected.

"Alright, but don't get yourself injured, we still need to get back to the Sunny in time." He drew his swords when he saw a few of the pirates come towards them.

"Are you admitting that you need me to get back?" She smirked, readying up her clima-tact.

"I can get back on my own. I have a good sense of direction." He mirrored her expression while defeating ten of the pirates in front of them.

"Sure you have." She mocked, electrocuting a group of pirates that came closer.

Despite that their relationship had changed, Nami was glad that their bickering was still the same. However for now she focused on the actual fight.

Just like Zoro had thought this crew was nothing compared to the enemies they had to face in the new world. A captain like the one these pirates had lacked the ambition and determination that Luffy and all of the Straw Hats clearly had, so it was no surprised to the swordsman that the fight didn't take long.

After the pirates were defeated Genzo approached the swordsman with a smile.

"Thank you. You're always welcome here Zoro."

"No need to thank me." Zoro mirrored the expression with a small nod of his own.

Nami would never understand the way men communicated, but she felt like Genzo had just accepted Zoro, not only as a friend of the village but also as the man she loved. Then again maybe she was interpreting too much into that small gesture, but the knowing smile Genzo gave her afterwards told her the opposite.

Now there was only one place Nami wanted to visit before they would make their journey back.

When she stood on the hill that was overlooking Cocoyasi and the place that was dedicated to Bellemere, she felt a lone tear roll down her cheek. For a moment she felt just so sad and melancholic that the heavy memories of her past surfaced, but then she felt strong arms around her waist and her back being pulled against a warm chest. Laying her hands on his strong and capable arms she leaned back against him. His silent message was clear, she could allow herself to be weak, he would be there to lend her his strength. With him so close to her and knowing that he returned her feelings she looked back over Cocoyasi. Bellemere had always wanted her to be happy and now she had not only found a family with the Straw Hats but also a man who she loved deeply.

* * *

A/N: I'm thinking about writing a similar story revolving around Nami meeting the people from Zoro's past. Let me know if you like that idea. Thanks for reading and please review :)

Update: I finally decided to write the story about Nami meeting people from Zoro's past, it's called 'The place I call home'. Check it out if you want :)


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